Episode 22 of That Lionesses Podcast connected by EE, featuring Michelle Agyemang and Alex Greenwood who discuss Michelle’s goal in the semi-final, Michelle’s first final, Alex’s sixth final, and preparing to face Spain.
The episode is now out on all listening platforms and set to go live on YouTube at 4pm today.
Michelle talking about her goal in the semi-final, Alex talking about giving Michelle her flowers and needing all 23 players
Harriet: No well seriously it has been such a pleasure to be here this whole time with you guys and honestly an honour and we’re going to begin by talking Michelle about your incredible performance, it’s been a couple of days since the semi-final win semi-final win in case you didn’t know. Has your tremendous effort sunk in yet?
Michelle: I think so, I think especially like the day after I think it was crazy to just see like how far we’ve come especially from the first game to now and to know that we’ve done that together as a team is great you know to be here and to be at a final again.
Harriet: absolutely. After scoring equalisers in both the quarter and the semi-final, we’re starting to think you’re actually not a Lioness and you’re actually the equaliser. Denzel Washington has got a run for his money. Perhaps the equaliser 4 is actually Michelle Agyemang.
Michelle: No comment
Harriet: No deals are being signed, we’ll leave you to it, we’ll leave you to it. Alex, after the game we saw you pushing Michelle forward to get her flowers, that was such a beautiful moment that’s why I’m so glad you guys are here together, why was that important for you that she had her moment?
Alex: Michelle is so humble and I think she’s almost had two moments where this happened and I just think them moments don’t happen often. I know she’s so young and I have no doubt she’s going to have such an incredible career and score so many goals for England and stuff but the journey we’ve been on in this tournament and the timing of the goal, how important the goal was, she got us back in the game and ultimately like it was the difference maker and I just think you deserved to enjoy your moment. The fans obviously in front of the fans, your family is to the left of you, I just think I just thought if I didn’t do it, I would’ve been so disappointed for her not to have that moment for herself and she deserved it.
Michelle: Thanks Al
Harriet: and yeah it was so beautiful, it was so beautiful to watch, it was unreal. And Alex you had a fantastic game, your energy is relentless like my eyes are drawn to you a lot especially when I’ve watched it in the stadiums because you’re just bam bam bam bam bam. When it’s getting so close to the end of the game and you know what needs to be done to win, you’ve got so much experience, where do you find that energy, where is it coming from?
Alex: I think it’s just from doing anything to win, it’s just that drive. Honestly though I don’t know if you watched the end of the last game, I was gone, I couldn’t even walk at the end of that game so I think I was on my last batteries in the dying moments but I mean the whole squad, we need the squad, Jess comes on and finished the job off. It’s been the story of the tournament right, we’ve had the whole squad, we’ve needed all 23 players at some point in the tournament and think Michelle’s moment, Jess coming in, Chloe, Aggie, let’s not forget about Aggie’s role in the game as well because although she didn’t score or whatever, she was still so important.
Harriet: and she’s also had her moments as well, she had her moment in the Wales game. It’s not as you guys always reiterate it is 23 players making this happen
Alex: oh absolutely
Michelle and Alex talking about their first and sixth final respectively
Harriet: Now let’s look ahead at Sunday’s final. Michelle, first tournament, first final. Not bad. You’ve not, not, not done bad girl. How does it feel for you? It’s a huge moment. I mean, we as a nation are so proud of all of you. But I wanna know how it must feel for you the first time?
Michelle: I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet because we’re not actually there yet. I reckon when we get to Basel and we actually see the stadium and stuff, like it’ll proper settle in, but yeah, I’m just ready for it, like another game I guess.
Harriet: I love that. I think we’ve discussed before like how every game has been approached ever since France, as the final. So this is essentially like not the first final you’ve played and it’s kind of like in, in a weird way a good thing. Because you’ve got yourself into that mindset and now you’re there. You’re in that mindset ready to go. Alex, obviously this is your sixth international tournament and your third final. You are a legend and an icon. It’s so incredible. How are you looking ahead to the final with all that experience under your belt?
Alex: Of course I’ve thought about it. But again, like similar, kind of similar to Mich as well. It’s not, considering it’s the first or sixth or whatever that is, it’s not much different to what I would do for the last game, previous game would be no different to what I’ll do for this game, how I’ll prepare matchday minus two, minus one. Of course, I know the magnitude of the game, and I know what’s to come, the build up to the game, on the outside rather than the inside, and I think if we protect our inside anyway, it should feel as normal as the last game for the likes of Michelle and the younger players who’ve maybe not experienced it before, and I think that’s really really important. I think once you start changing things, and talking about in a different way, it becomes like it’s not normal, or it’s we have to do something different, but we don’t
Harriet: It gives me goosebumps when you talk, you both speak with such eloquence and confidence, and it just makes it even more thrilling that we’re about to go to the final
Michelle and Alex talking about what they’ve learnt from each other during the tournament
Harriet: You’re coming into this final from such different points of the journey, what’s obviously, 1st and 6th, what have you learnt from each other during the tournament?
Alex: It’s a good question, I don’t I’ve particularly learnt anything like as in anything that’s surprised me, or maybe I didn’t know, but I think the biggest thing I’ll take away, from the tournament is our willingness to do anything to win, and I think I know people say you’ll do anything you can to win a football match, but I think we’ve had so many of them moments, not that we’ve planned to have them, but critical critical moments in games where we’ve needed a player to come on and change the game, or score a goal like Mich, or make a tackle, or a Bronzey to score a pen, or Hannah to make a save, Kiera to make a pass, just moments, not that I don’t know those players can do that, I see it in training every day, I’ve seen Michelle finish like that every single day. But it’s doing that under the biggest pressure, staying calm, but then what I like is after the game, if we go again, what’s next? And I think that’s so important. I don’t know if it’s because maybe now we’re used to semi-finals and finals and that’s our expectation, so we only work that way, and for Michelle now, no pressure kid but this is the expectation now, like semi-finals, finals, and I think it’s incredible
Harriet: Yeah it really is, Michelle what about you?
Michelle: I think that fight, you know every single game to be fair ever since the Netherlands game, it’s been a final for us and we’ve gone into every single game with that confidence and to see us pull it out the fire last-minute almost every single time shows that resilience and that belief and I think taking that for myself is really important.
Alex talking about Spain’s strengths, preparing to face them in the final, and the pre-match final talk
Harriet:. I’ve been hearing from the players that you’re trying to catch as many of the other games as possible in the tournament, from watching Spain play, what do you think their biggest strengths are, and what are you going to do to prepare for that?
Alex: I think with Spain, their style of play is very unique, I think they play a certain way, sometimes no matter how you’re set up, it’s almost hard to completely stop what they do. I think they have some fantastic individuals, as we’re all aware of, we all know who they are, big names, they are World Cup winners, so we’re very honest and respectful of the team and how good they are that we’re going to come up against, but we’re also very confident in our game plan, so I think without going into too much detail, we are confident in what we need to do.
Harriet: Incredible, and obviously you’ve been part of the coach journey, pre-match talk, the nerves of a final, what’s the most important thing for the players to remember in those final minutes before kick-off would you say?
Alex: Do what you always do, nothing needs to change and enjoy it. Literally just take, I have no problems with a player being like ‘wow’ this is the final, like take it in, for sure, but don’t change what you do, you’re here for a reason, what you’ve done your preparation, your routine, whether that’s listening to music, the same song, not at all, dancing or singing or whatever that is, you don’t need to now become this completely different character who’s now silent, or now’s loud. It’s whatever makes you feel relaxed and calm, go back to what you do
